Saw-Cut Layout Kit Lock Downs –Align for tape 90° offset

Handle for easy carrying

Oil Crayon for marking

dog-eared corners.

Tape Measure Modified

for Kit 1/8” T-bar Hole

Magnetic 1/8” Drill Bit,

Sight Stick, and T-Bar

Storage

Loop Size Measuring Point

BD Loops | 5362 Bolsa Ave Ste. C | Huntington Beach, CA 92649 P: 714-890-1604 | F: 714-890-1603 | W: www.BDLoops.com 1

25’ Tape Measures

Dog Ear Corner Guide (on both sides) Use this

guide to mark your dog eared corners.

Guide to keep the

measuring tape at 90°

Thank you for test marketing our prototype kit, we are looking forward to your feedback.

If you have any questions about how the Layout Kit works please call: 714-890-1604

BD Loops | 5362 Bolsa Ave Ste. C | Huntington Beach, CA 92649 P: 714-890-1604 | F: 714-890-1603 | W: www.BDLoops.com

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2.

Gate

Curb

Drill a hole into the corner of the block and

place a t-pin into it.

Measure 2’ from the curb and 4’-5’ (depending on the loop size) from the

gate. (Or whatever measurement you need to make to center the loop in

the driveway.)

Rotate the block around, and pull out the long

and short leg of the loop.

3.

New Layout Kit Instructions

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1.

Lock the tape measurer and use the lock downs

to hold the tape measurer in place. Make sure

that the tape is pressing up against the 90° guide.

4.

You can use a separate tape measurer to make sure that the kit is

square (the same distance from the gate as the kit).

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5.

Drill a hole at the end of each tape measure.

You can use the hole in the

metal end of the tape

measurer as a guide to help

find the center of the tape.

6.

Tip:

Insert a metal skewer into the holes.

When you are satisfied with the position of

the template drill though the corner hole. 5

8.

Line up the kit by touching each tape measure to skewers.

10. 11.

Move to opposite corner

9.

When both holes have been

drilled pick up the template and

place a skewer in the corner hole. Take

the template and move it to the opposite

corner. Line up the tape measures so that

they touch the skewers.

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The template has a guide on the sides to make mark-

ing the dog eared corners easy.

Make a small mark on the ground on each side of

the template using the oil crayon.

13.

Then pick up the template and use it as a straight

edge to draw a line between the 2 marks.

14.

12.

See the next page for an explanation of

which corners need to be dog eared.

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You’ll be left with 4 sight sticks which can be used to help line up the blade as you are cutting. If you

are confident in your saw-cutting ability you don’t need to chalk any lines, you can just use the sight

stick method. (See page 12 for an explanation of cutting with sight sticks.

15.

The dog eared corners need to be marked for the

3 corners opposite the yoke point (the area where

the loop meets the lead-in). The “V” Cut Yoke is

used for yoke point. (See page 9 for information

on making a V-Cut Yoke.)

Note:

Lead-in run to operator.

If you prefer to chalk lines:

The installation kit comes with a one man chalk string. Simply place the chalk string

Protect the chalk lines made by coating them with clear acrylic spray . The kit comes with one can of inverted (can

be used upside down) clear acrylic spray. The coating protect the pattern from water (often used with a

saw-cut machines) and wind.

To complete the installation follow BD Loops Saw-Cut Loop installation instructions. Check www.BDLoops.com for

the latest version of the instructions. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us: 714-890-1604.

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“V” Cut Yoke BD Loops has a new improved recommendation for cutting the “yoke point” (The area where the loop meets the lead-in) The yoke point should be cut in a “V” Shape which can be easily accomplished by making 2 cuts in a “V” shape and popping out the asphalt or concrete using the clean-out hook.

The V cut will make it even easier to install BD Loops preformed Saw-Cut Loops. It accommodates taking up any excess loop into the lead-in and makes it easier to install cock-eyed loops. With a “V” cut, you do not have to perfectly center the loop yoke before pushing it into the groove. The “V” Cut Yoke should be 8”-10” in length and 1.5” wide at its widest point.

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The Clean Out Hook is one of the new tools in development at BD Loops.

This simple hook tool can help pull stubborn rocks and debris

out of the saw-cut groove. It can also be used to pop the “V” cut yoke out. (See Reverse

side for information on our recommended “V” Cut Yoke)

Clean Out Hook

Easily pop out the V-Cut yoke

Remove debris from the groove

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Sealant Tip Shape Suggestion

With the modified tip it was easier for them to seal the groove. They were able to keep the sealant flowing more evenly and prevent the sealant from bubbling up and over the groove.

We modified the sealant tip for them so that the sealant would flow easier.

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We were out on a job site with an installation company and they were having a hard time keeping the sealant from bubbling up over the groove.

The use of Sight Sticks can replace chalking lines for saw-cut loops. Installers who are confident saw-cutters can simply mark the 4 corners of the loop with “sight sticks” which they will use as a target to guide the saw-cutting machine. This simple trick saves time on the field, the installer can go straight from measuring out the loop to cutting.

A loop pattern marked with Sight Sticks.

Lining up the saw-cutting machine with a

sight stick.

Saw-Cutting with Sight Sticks A trick for experienced saw-cutters.

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These tips should benefit new and veteran installers alike giving them an edge over the competition. This article has a tip designed to save time at every step of the saw-cut installation process.

To install a saw-cut loop, a groove must be cut. Choosing the correct size saw-blade is important to insure there is enough space for sealant to properly flow when applied. A 1/8” blade cuts a groove too narrow for thick sealant to properly flow and encapsulate the saw-cut wires. A 3/16” blade or larger has enough space for sealant to flow. BD Loops recommends the use of a 3/16” saw blade because 3/16” blades cost less, put less bog on your saw-cut ma-chine, and require 25% less loop sealant to fill than a ¼” groove. If the sealant doesn’t flow properly air pockets will

form within the saw-cut groove, a leading cause in loop failures. (See Figure 1)

Saw-Cut Loop Shortcuts

Shortcut: Saw-Blade Size

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Example of hand wrapping loop wire:

Saw-Cut Loop Shortcuts: Groove Cleaning Airwand

There are a lot of methods used to clean and dry a saw-cut groove, some better than others. Cleaning and

drying a groove of water and debris is very important if you want to install a loop properly according to industry standards. If a loop is installed in a groove that is wet and filled with debris the wire has a high chance of becom-ing nicked, and loop sealant will not harden properly or air bubbles may form. The use of a tool that centralizes air flow like the BD Loops groove cleaning air wand or similar tool is the best way to clean out and quickly dry a saw-cut groove (See Figure 3). Sucking up water and debris with a shop vacuum or using a leaf blower to dry the groove takes more time, but is more efficient that letting the sun air dry the groove.

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Once the loop is in place a loop sealant should be applied. The use of a DOT approved loop sealant like Chemque, Bondo, or Ruscoe brand loop sealant will save a lot of time in installation and prevent early re-placement. These brands have a low viscosity, don’t crack over time, and have tools designed for them to make the installation process much easier. Tools like sealant tips, if the proper tip is used the groove can be sealed from the bottom up allowing a seal with just one pass. Normal methods require multiple passes because time must be given for the thick sealant to flow around the wires. (See Figure 4) BD Loops found that 15-20 minutes per loop can be saved in the sealant application step with the use of a properly sized sealant tip.

Saw-Cut Loop Shortcuts: Sealant Tip

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BD Loop

Shortcuts: Rolling Work Seat

Use a Rolling Work Seat when sealing loops

can save your back and neck a lot of strain.

The rolling work seat our test marketers use

is from Harbor Freight, but they can also be

found at stores such as Home Depot.

Rolling work seats are usually found in the

gardening section.

Be careful not to roll

over an area that has

been sealed. Cover-

ing the sealant with

sand will prevent the

wheels from tracking

sealant.

Applying sealant using a rolling work seat.

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Sand Trick

Many installers have had customers who installed an expensive decorative driveway and need loops for their gate system. The customer is understandably frustrated at the prospect of saw-cut tattoos in their stamped con-crete, but there is really little choice when it comes to protecting the gate system. You can help alleviate a bit of their frustration, by using this sand trick to help camouflage the saw-cut tattoo.

This sand technique is ideal for situations where you are forced to cut into prettier surfaces such as stamped concrete, stamped asphalt, fresh concrete, pavers, or any application where the driveway appearance is important to the customer. Since loop sealant is not readily available in a wide assortment of colors you will never be able to easily match sealant to the surface of colored stamped concrete or other decorative surfaces.

The best part of the sand trick is not how simple it is, but that by doing it you'll be able to allow traffic to drive over the loops sooner, as the sand will create a barrier between the drying sealant and car tires.

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You will need: Craft Sand(s) that match the color of your appli-

cation (we recommend you keep regular white and black san handy for mixing.)

A paint roller that has been covered with artist

tape (or any other type of tape)

Step 1: Analyze the appearance of the driveway, in the paver application above we looked at the different bricks and identified that there were 3 different types of bricks: faded pink, faded purple, and faded dark blue. The color of the bricks are inconsistent, they contain light and dark patches and lots of light colored specks throughout. We decided to go with red and black craft sand mixed with white play sand (available at big box stores like Home Depot) to imitate the light pink bricks.

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Step 2: Mix the sand in the container, test your mixture by sprinkling a bit on the driveway to see how closely it matches. Make any changes needed to the mixture and then set aside. Be sure to let the play sand dry before mixing, play sand usually comes in a bag with some moisture that tends to make the sand look darker until it evaporates. The play sand will dry quicker if you are able to spread it out.

Step 3: Seal the saw-cut groove(s). It is impor-tant to not overfill the saw-cut groove with sealant. You want there to be a small gap from the top of the sealant to the surface. If the groove is over filled you will not be able to open the lane early because tires will splatter and track the sealant around and make a mess.

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Step 4: Sprinkle the sand mixture over the sealant using a cup. Use the paint roller to push the sand around as needed and press it into the groove. See the pictures to compare the before and after results.

Quite an improvement! We hope you find this trick helpful. Please feel free to share your experiences/photos of job sites using the sand trick.

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